merry-go-round
Americannoun
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Also called carousel. (in amusement parks, carnivals, etc.) a revolving, circular platform with wooden horses or other animals, benches, etc., on which people may sit or ride, usually to the accompaniment of mechanical or recorded music.
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a rapid whirl or a busy round, as of social life or business affairs.
noun
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another name for roundabout
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a whirl of activity or events
the merry-go-round of the fashion world
Usage
What is a merry-go-round? A merry-go-round is an amusement park ride that consists of a revolving, circular platform with wooden horses or other fixtures, as in Sofia and Camila begged their parents to ride the merry-go-round with them. A merry-go-round is also known as a carousel. People sit on the fixtures, while the platform goes around slowly and cheery (some might say “cheesy”) music plays. Merry-go-round can also be used figuratively to refer to a whirl, or a busy round, of activity, as in Sports fans are always delighted by the merry-go-round of the trading season. Example: I always enjoyed listening to carnival music when I rode the merry-go-round as a kid.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of merry-go-round
First recorded in 1720–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“It’s very much a merry-go-round, and that merry-go-round had to keep spinning faster,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Beyond the merry-go-round and before the Ferris wheel on Santa Monica Pier, Ian Bowen does business in a snug kiosk overstuffed with souvenirs, guidebooks and replica highway signs.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
Lampard's stock has risen after guiding Coventry to the title in his first full season in charge and King admitted it was inevitable he would be linked in the "merry-go-round" of football.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
I’m not sure how to step off the merry-go-round.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026
“Of course! Unicom, mermaid, lion, merman"—he smacked his forehead—“...and there's the sea horse. The merry-go-round of the Merciful Sisters! Incredible!"
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
Angular momentum is familiar in everyday life through spinning objects like bicycle wheels or merry-go-rounds, but at the atomic scale it is deeply connected to magnetism.
From Science Daily ● May 24, 2026
The carousel is one of the oldest wooden merry-go-rounds in California, and one of just a handful designed by the famous Spillman Engineering Corp. and its predecessor that remain in operation in the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2025
For years, Scottish football used to look at managerial merry-go-rounds in English football and decry it as a basket case environment, Now, it’s every bit as volatile in this country, if not worse.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2024
Our love for gyration is evidenced by the enduring popularity of playground merry-go-rounds and revolving park rides, and the irresistible draw of somersaulting down a hill.
From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
The red-brick building stood on a vast tract of land with immaculate lawns, athletic fields, swings, merry-go-rounds, an Olympicsized swimming pool, tennis courts and rows of brightly leafed trees.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
